Seta Tamanivalu facts for kids
| Full name | Setareki Tamanivalu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 23 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lautoka, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (16 st 5 lb; 229 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Lelean Memorial School and Saint Kentigern College |
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| Notable relative(s) | Manasa Mataele (nephew) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Setareki Tamanivalu (born on July 23, 1992) is a talented rugby player from Fiji. He used to play for the famous All Blacks. Right now, he plays as a centre or wing for the Toshiba Brave Lupus team.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Setareki Tamanivalu grew up in Fiji. He went to Lelean Memorial School and was great at both rugby union and rugby league. In 2010, he was part of the Fiji Secondary Schools under-18 rugby league team that visited Australia. Later, he moved to New Zealand. There, he received a scholarship to play rugby at Saint Kentigern College.
Professional Rugby Journey
Starting His Career
In 2012, Setareki joined the Taranaki team. He was one of five new players. He made his first professional game in the 2012 ITM Cup against Hawke's Bay.
By 2013, Setareki, then 21, was named the most promising player of the year. He became a regular starter for Taranaki. He was also the top try-scorer for his team, sharing the title with Andre Taylor.
In the 2014 ITM Cup season, he was among the top players for tries scored. He also excelled in clean breaks, beating defenders, and gaining metres. His amazing performance led him to win the 2014 ITM Cup player of the year award. Many top rugby teams in New Zealand and Australia wanted him. He chose to join the Chiefs team.
Playing for the Chiefs and All Blacks
Setareki was ready for an exciting 2015 season. However, he didn't get much playing time with the Chiefs in the 2015 Super Rugby season. He was eager to play more in the provincial season. But then, he hurt his knee playing for the New Zealand Barbarians against the Māori All Blacks. Despite this, he played nine games for Taranaki and scored four tries.
In 2016, Setareki had a fantastic Super Rugby season. He became a regular player for the Chiefs. He was one of the top try-scorers in the 2016 Super Rugby season, scoring nine tries. Only Damian McKenzie scored more for the Chiefs that year.
In June 2016, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen picked Setareki for the national team. He made his international debut on June 11, 2016, against Wales. He played for five minutes, and the All Blacks won 39-21. He played again in the second test, coming on early for an injured player. The All Blacks won that game too.
Setareki was later called back to the All Blacks team in August 2016. This happened after another player, Ryan Crotty, got a concussion. Setareki helped the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 29-9. In September 2016, it was announced that Setareki would join the Crusaders for the 2017 Super Rugby season.
Success with the Crusaders and Beyond
When Setareki moved to the Crusaders, he often played as a wing. In the 2017 Super Rugby season, he was again one of the top try-scorers. He scored his tenth try of the season in the 2017 Super Rugby Final against the Lions. His try helped the Crusaders win the competition for the eighth time, beating the Lions 25-17.
Earlier in 2017, Setareki played for the Crusaders against the British and Irish Lions. The Crusaders lost that game 3-12, which was a rare defeat for them.
After some All Blacks wingers got injured, Setareki was called back to the national team for the 2017 end-of-year tour. He started his first game for the All Blacks on November 5, 2017. He played the whole game as a left wing. The All Blacks won 31-22 against the Barbarians. On November 14, 2017, he played his last game for the All Blacks, helping them beat a French team 28-23.
In 2018, Setareki signed a three-year contract with Union Bordeaux Bègles in France. He had a back injury when he first started there. He mostly came off the bench during the 2019-2020 Top 14 season and the European Rugby Challenge Cup. Since 2021, he has been playing for Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan.
